How to Repair a Clothes Dryer After a Flood

Restoring a clothes dryer after a flood can be time-consuming.

It is often possible to salvage a clothes dryer after it has been damaged by a flood. The degree of difficulty involved in restoring a flooded clothes dryer to operational condition depends on many factors: the length of time it was exposed to flood waters, whether it was running when the flood occurred and whether it has electromechanical or solid-state controls. Both gas and electric clothes dryers can be restored.

Disassembly

Completely disassemble the flooded dryer. If it is a gas-heated dryer, turn off the gas supply valve and disconnect the flex pipe connecting the gas line to the dryer. In the case of an electric dryer, unplug the power whip from the dryer outlet. The exact disassembly process varies slightly from one make of dryer to another, so access the free online service manual at appliancerepair.net (see Resources) or purchase a hard-copy manual for your dryer from an appliance parts dealer.

Electrical Components

Electrical components, including dryer motors, can often be restored after a flood by simply drying them out with a hot air gun. However, if the dryer was running when the flood occurred, certain components, like the motor start switch and the timer control, may need to be replaced because the contacts may have shorted out and welded themselves together. If the flood waters contained a lot of debris, electromechanical components, including the motor, should be blown out with compressed air to remove any foreign objects that may have entered their housings.

Solid-State Controls

Solid-state control boards are easily damaged by water, even if the contact is a brief one. Solid-state controllers typically have an on-board battery to hold the machine's programming when it is disconnected from its main source of power, and the small amount of current supplied by that battery can cause shorts to occur when exposed to water. Solid-state components are highly sensitive to short-circuits, and even the briefest short-circuit can cause irreparable damage to the board and board components. You can try to salvage the old board by drying it thoroughly, but you are better off replacing it right away. Do not use a hot air gun to dry out a solid-state controller; the high heat generated by a hot air gun will damage the board and its components. You can use a hairdryer set to blow cool air to dry the controller.

Gas Heated Dryers

With gas-heated dryers everything that applies to electrically heated dryers also applies to their electrical components. In addition, you need to use compressed air to blow out any debris that may have entered the gas jets and the burner bar assembly.

About the Author

Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., Jerry Walch has been writing articles for the DIY market since 1974. His work has appeared in “Family Handyman” magazine, “Popular Science,” "Popular Mechanics," “Handy” and other publications. Walch spent 40 years working in the electrical trades and holds an Associate of Applied Science in applied electrical engineering technology from Alvin Junior College.